It is not very easy to get to see by your own eyes what we can see in these photos of mine. Neither is the Saint James Chapel open to the public as other monuments are, nor is it very easy to descent down the ladder to get to this underground place.
In the Middle Ages there was a settlement here, in the eastern suburb, divided from the city by city walls and a moat filled with water. The Settlement of Saint Laurent had a chapel – pre-Romanesque – St. Laurent Chapel. It is this very present day St. James Chapel, in the remaining parts of which we are now. When new, larger, three nave church was constructed, first mentioned in 1311, it was consecrated to St. Laurent and this chapel became St. James Chapel – cemetery chapel, charnel house or ossuary. It is first mentioned in 1422.
Due to the fact that for many centuries there was a cemetery adjoining the chapel and the church, the preserved bones found during subsequent burials were placed into this charnel house, onto consecrated ground. Seems there always has been lack of space for burials. This was customarily done in German areas and we can easily guess that much of the population was German here, thus the influence.
In 1526, after the Turks won the Battle of Mohacs, they kept expanding to the north. Because of this Turkish threat, the decision fell in 1528 to pull down the churches and structures outside the city walls – as a protection measure to prevent them being taken as an advantage by the Turks in attacking the city walls. Both the church and the chapel were pulled down. However, the cemetery kept functioning until 1774.
Studying bones can tell us a lot about those, who some time ago had lived and had them inside their bodies. Or sometimes how they could have died. Some things can be observed even by mere naked eye. Like a big cut by sword on the forehead – see the skull in the picture above, a little bit to the left of the candle. This person did not survive his injury.
There is a small round opening seen on another skull, could it be an operation? Healing process took place on the bone, that means that that person survived. At least two interesting things we could observe. Special expertise, however, always must bring amazing amount of interesting facts. It would for sure be interesting to attend a lecture on this topic by experts.
How many centuries ago these people lived, breathed, worked, loved, laughed, worried… Now, we can see only that little what is preserved of them – parts of their skulls and bones. With greatest probability, long after we are gone, when there will be no vestige of us, they will still be here, reminding many generations after them and after us of MEMENTO MORI.
If people resting here could be asked if they would like to return back to life – who knows, how they would decide? I wonder, how many of them would like to return and how many would prefer to stay just where they are – on another side of existence? What makes it worthwhile to be on this Earth? I am sure, my friend Janko, who passed away unexpectedly 23 years ago in his prime, would for sure love to come back and laugh with us and enjoy his life, which he loved.
Why am I thinking of him right here and now? Because he very much fought for this St. James´s Chapel in Bratislava to be preserved. He fought for it to be protected under glass structure. From his working position at the time, when the fate of this chapel had been questioned, he did his best to have it saved. He is now resting elsewhere, but I think of him fondly whenever I walk past this chapel. We will never forget you wonderful friend!